It was pre-rush hour, and what traffic there was was going the other way. I was at her house in twenty-five minutes. Susan met me at her front door. She had on her warm-up suit and sneakers. Without makeup her face looked a little simpler, like she must have as a kid.
'In the kitchen,' she said. Her eyes were wet.
I went in. The black Lab was there. It had been shot in the head and the blood was stiff and dry and nearly as black as the fur it had stiffened. Some had soaked into the rug where the dog lay, on its side, between the kitchen table and the back door. I moved its leg. It was unyielding. The body had stiffened. 'You find it this morning?'
'Yes.'
'You come into the kitchen last night?'
Susan shook her head. 'I came in the front door and went right upstairs.'
'Probably shot it last night. Probably thought she was yours. Your back door wasn't locked.'
'No,' Susan said. 'You know I don't lock the doors.'
I stood up. 'You may as well call the cops, and the dog officer.'
'She was a lovely dog,' Susan said. 'What will I tell her folks?'
I didn't say anything.
'Why?' Susan looked at me. 'You mentioned there had been threats, but… ?'
'I don't know. Maybe a warning. Maybe a substitute. They came and you weren't here, but'the dog was, so they brought her in and shot her instead. It won't happen again,' I said. 'You know who did it?'
'I know who had it done. That's better. Call the cops.'
Chapter 25
Two cops came with the local dog officer. One of the cops was Cataldo. They took the dog away and the other cop went to tell the owners. Susan told Cataldo she didn't know why someone would do this.
Cataldo looked at me. 'And you wouldn't have any idea either, would you?'
'No.
'Funny thing to do for no reason. Not even your dog, Susan.'
'I know, Lonnie. I know. The poor thing. Maybe they were burglars and thought the dog would give them away.'
'So they brought it in and shot it?'
Susan shrugged.
I said, 'I have to go to work. Can you keep an eye on her?' Cataldo nodded. 'I'll take her to school and pick her up when she's ready to come home.'
'How about after that?' I said.
'I'll stick around,' Cataldo said. ''Case the burglars come back.'
'How about a paid detail?' I said. 'Until I get this straightened out.'
Cataldo shook his head. 'I know Susan a long time now. Most of the guys do. We'll watch her for free.'
'Who wouldn't?' I said.
Cataldo nodded again.
Susan said, 'I won't even argue,' and they went together in the cruiser.
I stood in her kitchen looking at the bloodstained rug and called Henry Cimoli on the phone. 'Tell Hawk I need him,' I said. 'I'll be in there in about half an hour and I want him as soon as he can get there.'
Henry said, 'I'll tell him.' And I hung up and headed for my car. When I got to the Harbor Health Club, Henry was in his office and Hawk was with him. They were drinking coffee. Henry had on blue-striped Adidas sneakers and a white T-shirt and dark blue sweat pants with zippered bottoms. The T-shirt said MANAGER in blue letters. Hawk was wearing gray and black Puma running shoes, white denim jeans, and a white cashmere sweater, V-neck, with no shirt under it. 'Coffee?' Henry said. He was a little guy who'd been a very fine lightweight fighter once. Now he managed the Harbor Health Club and worked out twice a day. He looked like a superman doll. I took a white china mug of coffee from him. Hawk was slouched in one of the guest 156 chairs, his feet on the desk, holding a coffee mug in both hands.
To Hawk I said, 'Somebody shot a dog and left it in Susan's kitchen.'
'She okay?'
'Yes. I figured Tony Marcus.'
Hawk nodded. He took a sip of coffee, put the mug on Henry's desk, and stood up by letting his feet drop off the desk and levering his body up as his feet hit. 'Let's get to it,' he said.
'You know where to find him?' I said.
'Yeah, he got a place in the South End-restaurant called Buddy's Fox, Clarendon and Tremont.'
Henry said, 'You want a third?'
I said, 'No. Anything goes bad, tell Quirk, and see about Susan.'
Henry nodded. Hawk slid open a drawer in Henry's desk and took out a shoulder holster with a .357 Magnum in
